Bring on the hops!

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July 27, 2015

Once upon a time, a place that served Newcastle and Sam Adams was thought to have a “good” beer list. The times have certainly changed. If you are a hop head, there is no better place to live, than Boulder, Colorado. The industry is literally changing before our very eyes. Brewers are constantly pushing the boundaries on hop variations, aging techniques and wild yeast strains.

In the mid-2000s, I had become quite bored with the standard Wheat Beers and Amber Ales. Sierra Nevada Pale Ales in the parking lot of Phish shows were my transition into hop-forward selections. Once I developed the affinity for Pale Ales, I soon pushed through to the most glorious category of beers (in my humble opinion), the India Pale Ale. My palette has enjoyed being wrecked by hops ever since.

For obvious reasons, this issue was especially fun for our team. Make sure to check out our Parting Thoughts segment. This month, Charlie Papazian (godfather of craft beer) spotlights some of his favorite relics and historical trinkets from the early days of micro brewing.

Although I have not ventured into the art of making beer yet, I do have some of my favorite, related standbys below. Cheers to all of the beer geeks and brewers. This one’s for you!